What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I don't usually get overwhelmed by emotions, but I can easily control them when they happen in daily life. 

In the past, I had two experiences where I was someplace and was totally overwhelmed by feelings I couldn't describe, and I don't know why they were so powerful. 

The first was at the Anne Frank House (Museum) in Amsterdam. That was a profound experience that I'll never forget. It makes you want to scream that the family stayed hidden for so long, only to be betrayed by a "friend." It's much more complex than that ...

CRUD -- the internet wasn't working this morning! I'm now late!

My blister feels better today since I popped it, but it'll take some time for all the dead skin (ICK) to disappear. I hope at some point that it'll completely heal. I just don't understand the mechanics of feet and why that poor little toe continues to be crushed even when there's lots of room. Now, there is a bunion on that foot and it's quite possible that the bunion is causing the crushing, in which case, there is nothing I can do ...

We had a great day at Thimble Quilts and Sewing in Lasalle, Ontario. There's always so much to show, and doesn't seem like enough time to show all the samples and explain all the techniques. The poor students who attended went home with their heads spinning from all the inspiration and information!

We had a great lunch chatting with the customers and a good look around the store. A few things came home with me. And I bought fabric - somewhat willy-nilly, which I haven't done in a long time. 

However, I saw some gorgeous batiks and decided ...

Yes --- those little holes in the front garden look neatly arranged, but we do NOT have any flowers there. That was all newly planted last year, and unless the landscape company did something I'm not aware of -- we only have those little shrubs. Since we didn't see any flowers in the spring, I'm guessing whoever is digging is looking for grubs!!!  DH is beyond himself with whoever is digging. OK -- time to get that game cam out and set it up. 

What a whirlwind day yesterday was, and I'm running short on time this morning - again ...

Another city -- a different hotel! It's been a long week, and it's not over yet! Today is my last work day, and then a few rest days! Well, not exactly, but at least I'll be on my own time, so to speak! 

I think I say this every time I'm away, but connecting to the internet is so much easier than it used to be. Gosh -- we had to get down on the floor and connect cables and then struggle to dial in, and it was all such fun. Today, most places have free Wi-Fi, and ...

Wow -- where does the time go? I was doing something this morning and thought -- just a few more minutes. A half-hour later, I look up and take a breath! 

I had a good chuckle this morning as I surveyed Studio B. It will NEVER be tidy. I will NEVER get all the projects completed that are sitting out. It just isn't going to happen! But I'll keep plugging away, and who knows -- maybe someday it'll look better. However, it's a WORKING studio -- the stuff never stays in one place for long before it does get finished ...

That mental health day was good! It got me fired up to get to work yesterday! And while I don't have much to show for it, I feel accomplished. 

I'll be back on the road soon with SVP and have events in Edmonton and Saskatoon. So -- if you're going to be in that area, here's what's happening. 

On September 11 and 12, I'll be at Central Sewing in Edmonton. There are three events - 

Monday - September 11 at 9:30 - 12:30 -- Adventure in Applique -- this is EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about applique ...

Well, I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. DO NOT do something new with the blog, and then leave the house! That darn link didn't work, so as you can see, the class list is on a post in the main part, and I'll see if I can fix that later. 

Here's the link to the post with the classes, just in case you didn't see it. 

Yesterday was a long day, but we had a blast at the Grand Reopening of Sew Productive in Acton, and thanks to everyone who came out! Here's a picture ...

I'm home! I thought I might have to sleep at the airport last night, but I managed to get home. It was very late, and I'll nap later today. Wait for that story!

The day started with the daily geocache; although I knew there was an Adventure Lab at the airport, what if I forget? Someone has posted a geocache at many of the hotels in the area, and they are quick and easy to find. 

My geocache of the day

So all was good in that area, and I had to take the car to get breakfast ...

 As I was packing to leave, I had a pair of casual shorts in my hands. Should I take them? Should I leave them? I threw them in since they were small. OMG -- they were a godsend yesterday. I went for a short walk after breakfast to do a couple of geocaches and I had my jeans on. Let's say that I got back to the hotel and put those shorts on and thank goodness I did. 

It is HOT here! I knew it was hot, but once I arrived at the store to get ready, I didn't ...

Phew -- another event done, and for those that could not attend, well, you missed a TON of information. Everyone left the events with loads of inspiration and knowledge that they were NOT expecting when they arrived! I like when that happens!

The drive was fine both ways, although I was getting a bit tired as I neared home, as it was well past my usual bedtime by then. But I'm listening to The Pearl Sister, the fourth book in The Seven Sisters series. Someone (I think it was one of you) mentioned they did NOT like this book, and ...

 I'm up EARLY  -- the blog post should be on time!

I had two more successful events yesterday, and those attendees went home knowing a lot more about what they could do with their PFAFF sewing machines and loads of inspiration for making quilts. I came away with a list of samples I want to make to improve the presentation! 

Thank you to Patrick and Peachtree Quilt Shop for a fantastic couple of days! Loads of fun, and I got to meet some new people. 

So where am I next? The next stop (work-wise) is Quilt Canada in Halifax. So ...

WOW --- what an amazing two days I had at Stitch by Stitch in Kingston! Thanks to Heather, Natalie, and all the other staff, for hosting me, and thanks to all the people who attended. To those who didn't get a chance to attend, talk to Heather so we can reschedule! EVERYONE learned a TON of stuff about accessories for their embroidery/sewing/sergers, garment making, and machine embroidery. Better yet, they had questions, and we went down a few rabbit holes, but everyone learned some NEW things about their machines!

I love how Heather advertises events on her store ...

 I agree wholeheartedly with Tammy's comment. Pattern designers, who design their own fabric collections, are happy to load up the requirements with fabric with no regard (or very little) to the financial impact on the end consumer!

I'm happy to report that the day went exceptionally well! While I love to drive, it can be dicey as the car's motion can make me drowsy, which isn't a good combination. A small catnap at a rest stop puts me back in operation, meaning I have to leave early to allow for that. 

However, I didn't need ...

I love Elle's comment about the "screamer" in the spin class. A toddler -- yep -- that's what he reminded me of! 

I try to ignore the noises, but sometimes it's tough. But do you love to watch or observe people? I LOVE it! Especially if they are regulars, like those in my spin class. At any class, there might be 25 - 30 people. And I know most of them by sight and a few by name since our names appear on the screen at the start of the class. But amazing how much you can learn about each ...